Warren man to serve additional 15 months for threats against wife, telling her to prostitute herself

ROCKLAND, Maine — A 45-year-old Warren man was sentenced Friday for making threats against his wife and later violating bail by telephoning her from jail and encouraging her to prostitute herself and to give him half the money she earned.

Curtis Moody pleaded guilty Friday in Knox County Superior Court to a felony domestic violence terrorizing charge, four felony counts of violation of condition of release, and one misdemeanor count of promotion of prostitution. His wife, who is facing a charge of engaging in prostitution, spoke on her husband’s behalf, saying he needed psychological help more than jail time.

Justice Jeffrey Hjelm accepted a plea agreement reached between the district attorney’s office and defense in which Moody was sentenced to five years in jail with all but 12 months suspended and two years probation for the violating conditions of release counts and a concurrent 12 months for terrorizing. The combined impact of the sentences means that Curtis will serve 15 months in jail.

Moody has been in jail since June after being arrested for allegedly assaulting his wife. That charge was dismissed as part of the plea agreement.

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After his arrest, the jail recorded telephone calls that Moody made to his wife. His conditions of release included no contact with her. An affidavit filed by the Knox County Sheriff’s Office in September alleged that Moody made hundreds of phone calls to his wife from jail and that in some of those calls he encouraged her to have sex with other men and demanded half the money.

His wife. Wendy Moody, 37, was charged with engaging in prostitution. She is scheduled to be in court next on that matter on March 3. She has pleaded not guilty to that charge.

She was arrested in September following a sting operation by the sheriff’s office. In the phone calls with her husband, it was alleged that she had set up a web site offering services.

The sheriff’s office then contacted Wendy Moody by email using a fake name and set up a meeting with her. She was arrested in September at the Yankee Traveler Motel on Route 1 in Warren after she allegedly offered sexual services to an undercover deputy.

The wife spoke during her husband’s sentencing hearing Friday and said that he needed psychological help rather than jail. She said he suffered from mental illness and when he was released from jail on a prior matter, he was sent out with only a three-day supply of medication and had not been able to get adequate counseling services.

Justice Hjelm made getting counseling and an evaluation as one of the conditions upon Curtis Moody’s release. The judge also reminded Moody that he faces an additional four years in jail if he fails to refrain from violations.

A police affidavit from Curtis Moody’s arrest in June included statements from his wife that he grabbed her by the throat and threatened to kill her because he suspected she was having sex with another man. Wendy Moody said she feared for her life and that of her children, according to the affidavit.

On Friday, however, she said that the deputy misunderstood her and that her husband had not assaulted or threatened her.